WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY - Ameena Goga, Pretoria/Geneva

Professor Ameena has been recognised for her contributions to public health.  She currently lives in Geneva, working in global child health.  Here she tells her story, how she had the opportunity to study and then focus on Mother and Child health.  Read on to hear how the practices taught by the School make a remarkable difference to her life. Ameena is a member of the School of Practical Philosophy in Pretoria, South Africa.

A decision needed to be made. Was it going to be astrophysics or medicine? It was 1986. What would I do with astrophysics? as a South African? under Apartheid? I decided, at the age of 17, that I would be ‘of more use to the world’ if I studied medicine. 

I was lucky to get in… probably something to do with being at the right place at the right time… personal destiny? But I knew nothing about that in 1986.

Medical school was tough and lonely. There were lots of egos – narrowly focused, with no room for organized, consistent sports or finer things like music or philosophy. The closest we came to philosophy was a course on medical ethics.

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